What Football Can Learn From Horse Racing’s Data Revolution

Few sports have adapted quicker to the technology available in this modern day than horse racing. In contrast, football still has a love-hate relationship with technological advancements, with fans of the sport still irritated by the Video Assistant Refereeing decisions every week.

Many sports have adapted to advancements quicker than football, meaning that the sport can learn lessons from others as to how to best implement technology to best effect.

In racing, it is used seamlessly, both on track and in the paddock, with experienced bettors able to use information recorded to make more informed selections at TwinSpires.com.

But, what can football learn from horse racing when it comes to data collection?

Wearable Technology

One of the most important pieces of technology in horse racing comes in the form of wearable tech. Horses will wear trackers throughout training and in their races, enabling trainers and owners to get up-to-the-minute information surrounding their runner.

This includes being able to keep tabs on heart rates, stride patterns, and blood pressure. All of these factors can have a profound impact on how a trainer will train their horse. Furthermore, it can help to identify any potential issues a runner may have. The metrics can pinpoint horses that are underperforming, and they are also capable of assessing whether an equine is risking picking up an injury.

This can help a trainer to modify training plans to give the equine time to recover. Therefore, it could be easily transferred to football. Many players in this modern day complain of their heavy workload, meaning that keeping track on what’s going on inside a football is key to ensuring that they aren’t in danger of burning out.

Footballers wearing pieces of tech can help a coach modify training plans, and assess whether they should rest key players ahead of bigger upcoming fixtures that could have a pivotal impact on the season.

Monitor Stats

Analysing metrics is the key to getting the very best out of an athlete, as it comes them something to work towards betting. If there is no challenge to improve, then there is typically a loss in motivation.

Racehorse trainers will monitor stats to ensure that their runners aren’t becoming lazy during training, always ensuring that they are being pushed so that they can reach their peak level of performance. Sectional times are typically assessed by trainers, pinpointing stages of the race where an equine may underperform. Having a tailored plan focused around stats can help improve the eventual results on the course.

This is also the case when it comes to football, as stats such as distance covered, number of sprints, and defensive recoveries can often tell a coach more about a player’s performance on the field than the number of passes that they have completed.

Assessing these stats is crucial to getting the best out of a team, as it could pinpoint a weak link that isn’t prepared to put in the tough yards to help their team. Keeping on top of these stats is essential for a coach, as a team is only likely to achieve their season goals if all cogs of the engine are working in unison.

Predictive Modelling

AI is one of the most informative tools available in horse racing in this modern day, as it has the power to give an informed opinion surrounding how an event may play out.

The tech is capable of taking all relevant information before determining the most likely result. AI will typically simulate the outcome thousands of times in order to make a final judgement. This enables trainers to change variables surrounding their runner, such as applying different headgear of a change in tactics to assess whether there will be an improved chance of a victory.

Predictive modelling could also be transferred to football, as coaches can use the tool to assess the tactics that they are planning to use. An example of this was Liverpool using AI to improve their chances of scoring from set-pieces. A negative result could lead to a coach re-thinking their approach, potentially setting up more defensively in order to counteract teams that are strong offensively.

Enhancing Judgement

While data is incredibly important across both horse racing and football, it shouldn’t necessarily replace human judgement. The eye test is always more important than anything else, as stats and data can often be misleading and push coaches and trainers in the wrong direction.

Instead, data should be used in a way to back up the eye test, with metrics able to back up what you initially thought. This is especially the case in football when scouting new players.

A potential signing may not rank the best in their team in terms of all stats, but they may look a perfect fit judged on their physicality. It should also be noted that coaches will take into account how they can improve a player, meaning that dominant stats are not normally the be-all or end-all.